Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has said that the state government was not aware of the arrest and detention of the suspected illegal miners who later died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Bago disclosed this during a live interview on Channels Television on Sunday night while speaking on the deaths of suspected illegal miners detained by the NSCDC in Minna. The governor's comments came amid ongoing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths, which have triggered public concern and calls for accountability. According to reports, the miners were arrested during NSCDC operations against illegal mining activities in the M.I. Wushishi and Lukoto areas of Niger State on September 15 and 16. Bago had earlier disclosed that 67 artisanal and suspected illegal miners were detained at an NSCDC facility before 37 of them died in custody.
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